ECON308 Public Economics

The role of government in society is examined using the tools and methods of microeconomics.
Topics include welfare economics, public goods, externalities, optimal taxation and
voting models.

This paper discusses examines the ways government interventions affect the economy.
The paper begins with an empirical and theoretical overview of government expenditure
programmes in OECD countries. It then develops macroeconomic and microeconomic tools
to explores several issues including institutional economics and public choice theory;
income redistribution within cohorts and between cohorts; social security and retirment
income; tax policies, and government finance (debt and asset positions).